The Stones on the Path
by Nycro Shears
Summary: Quiet isn't a fan of the Afghanistan AO.


No matter how long she spent in Afghanistan, she just simply could not get used to the climate. It was hot, she could handle that much, but the air was so dry and not to mention those damned sandstorms that sucked the moisture and light from the arid canyons with one shift of the winds. So, one can imagine Quiet was not particularly pleased when the Boss set their destination for Northern Kabul. She sat back in her seat, arms folded over her chest and stuck out her bottom lip in a furious pout.

"Relax," Snake reached over and patted her shoulder with his prosthetic arm. "It won't be for too long. We rescue the prisoner, and then we go home. In and out."

Quiet only sighed and turned to watch their destination approach from the horizon. The pilot took one hand off the controls to signal the team that they would be dis embarking in a few minutes. The sooner the better, for all she was concerned. Quiet's eyes flashed as the inky pigment bled its way to the surface of her skin. The two reached for their guns, non-lethal at Snake's insistence, and unclipped their seatbelts.

The Boss opened the door to his left and sat at the edge, scope ready to spot any enemies near the LZ. Quiet slipped past him and held onto the side of the chopper, observing the landscape and the determined scowl on the Boss's face. She wouldn't be able to joke around with him now. As soon as Pequod had given the signal, the human part of Big Boss simply shut down to allow the legendary soldier to surface. The helicopter swung to the side and lowered, allowing Snake to jump off and ready his pistol. Quiet joined him soon after, waiting just a tad longer to ensure she didn't...surprise him when she landed. She had been on the wrong side of his rifle before, and though it lead to the best damn weeks of her life, tranquilizer darts still hurt like hell.

"The supply outpost," Boss took out his iDroid to show his partner. She hummed and nodded, coiling herself like a spring before launching herself North. She felt Snake's eyes following her even as she was cloaked, as she often did. No matter how many Skulls he fought, he maintained a respectable curiosity of their powers and Quiet was the perfect opportunity to safely observe their abilities.

Within minutes, she had reached the fort and rushed around the surrounding cliffs to mark as many enemies as possible. Luckily, she also managed to catch a glimpse of a prisoner through one of the windows. She made a careful note of it as she knelt down, rifle poised for action.

She could see the Boss making his way to her location, a little dark smudge on the side of the road. He wove around the boulders, keeping the main thoroughfare free of his presence. Not far behind him, a truck was fast approaching the base; an enemy unit. Shit. She buzzed Snake and hummed in warning; immediately he dove behind cover and waited for the vehicle to pass. The whole thing was packed with armored soldiers, two in the cabin and at least five in the bed of the truck. Their rifles clinked against their plating and flashed in the sunlight.

Once the coast was clear, the Boss continued his encroachment on the outpost, slinking around to the west side of the base with the intent of entering through the rear entrance. Quiet could see it from her position, it was lightly guarded but there would be eyes all over him if he made a sound. She watched with baited breath as the lone sentry was pulled behind a crate and replaced by her partner. The new arrivals had at least provided something of a distraction; many of the soldiers were busy conversing with them in their native tongue or simply following the exchange at their posts.

Snake moved towards his left and disappeared entirely into the fort. Quiet could only imagine where he was and tried to follow the route with her scope. She bit her lip, only relenting when she spotted his shadow in the room with the prisoner. She wasn't the only one, unfortunately. A soviet soldier reared back, a warning cry forming in his lips. Quiet was much faster than the alarm could ever be, and shot the man's head from beneath his helmet, the silencer on the end of her rifle dampening the near deafening sound to a small pop. He crumpled to the ground immediately, but not without the nearby guards rushing to him. The armored unit drew their guns and dispersed around the base. Things were about to get hairy.

"Quiet," the radio crackled. She hummed in response. "Prisoner is badly injured, can't risk a Fulton. Cover me."

She raised her gun again, this time aiming for the soldier that had discovered his fallen comrade at the back of the base. Another pop and he joined his friend in the dust. Then there was the duo of soldiers making their way into the building. She aimed for one and squeezed the trigger. Both fell almost instantly and the Boss peaked out from behind the door, tranquilizer pistol aimed and ready and a bloodied prisoner slung over his back. He made a motion with his hand, indicating that he intended to leave the way he came. He stepped over the unconscious pileup by the gate and made his way outside Quiet's field of vision. She made a move to find a different vantage point, but was stopped dead at a rustling noise behind her.

It was the only warning she got before three of the armored soldiers were upon her. She didn't have time for this. She raised her gun and swung it at the man's chest, knocking the breath from his lungs. He collapsed into a wheezing pile, clutching his ribs. Two more to go. This time, she cloaked and leapt onto another adversary's back, grabbing his arm and forcing him to shoot at the remaining target. The bullets barely made a scratch on his helmet and chest, and by the time she aimed the gun at the man's legs, she had run out of ammo.

She grabbed her knife from her belt and jabbed it under his helmet. His violent spasm threw Quiet off of him. She was now face to face with the last infantryman. He held his weapon steady, but his shaking legs betrayed his fear. He shouted something in Russian and lunged at her. Quiet needed only to sidestep and give him a little extra push off the cliff.

That took care of that. A rattle of gunfire echoed from where the Boss had snuck off to and the sniper knew she would need to hurry. She prepared a jump but fell flat on her stomach when something grabbed her foot. The wheezing soldier had a death grip on her boot, refusing to relinquish his hold. She didn't have time for this. She pulled one of the laces and left the shoe in his dying grasp.

At her new position, she could see Snake just barely holding out behind a stack of crates while a half-dozen enemies shootinh at him. Ready; aim, fire. With that mantra, any soldier that dared approach the Boss' cover would fall down. With them out of the way, the rest were easy pickings for the duo.

"There's more on the way!" Snake shouted just a few metres below her. "Make sure they don't follow me."

To emphasize her understanding, Quiet downed an oncoming guard who was a little late to the party. With that, the Boss took off in a full sprint. The prisoner on his back groaned as he was jostled around like a ragdoll on horseback. She kept the reinforcements at bay with her fire, almost counting the seconds before she could leave.

Nearly fifteen more bodies on the ground and Snake finally radioed in. "I'm almost at the LZ. Come on over."

As soon as the transmission burst through, quiet slung her rifle over her shoulder and cloaked, ready to get the hell out of the base and back home. The LZ was not too far away, but Quiet stood on the other side of the base; even invisible, her speed might draw the attention and fire of the Soviet troops. Even more had filtered in after her barrage and a few had sights on her position. She would need to take the long way around. She crouched, drawing her strength to her legs before releasing the energy in a quick bound. She landed in the grass on next to the hill, her bare foot stinging a little from the impact. Still, she urged herself into a hasty run and only pushed herself further when she saw Pequod in the distance.

It was a straight shot from here, all she had to do was follow the road and they would be home free. Her feet flew over the path almost as quickly as her heart was beating. They had made quite a stir in the outpost, but no one had followed her. Then she spotted it, a massive tank trudging its way towards the hot zone with its barrel shifting left and right as it scanned the area. Quiet leapt up and over the impending vehicle, landing behind it with a soft thud.

Then it hit her, the intense pain in her toe. She looked down and saw it stubbed against a rock and already forming a bruise. Without thinking she hissed and drew in a sharp breath.

Snake heaved the POW off of his back, setting him down in the cabin off the chopper with a grunt. He climbed in after him and perched himself in the doorway.

"Ready when you are, Boss", the pilot gave Snake a thumbs-up from his seat.

He returned the gesture and scanned the landscape for any signs of trouble. There didn't appear to be any enemy forces in pursuit, but a massive flock of ravens had been disturbed some ways away, leaving them in an airborne frenzy. A loud, feminine "FUCK" echoed through the canyons.


End file.
